Williams appoints Jost Capito as CEO

Jost Capito is back in Formula 1. After his brief stay at McLaren at the end of 2016, the German, former head of Motorsport at Volkswagen, will be from February 1, 2021 the new CEO of Williams Racing. He will report directly to Matthew Savage, president of Dorilton Capital, the American investment company which bought the British team last summer. 

Williams also announces that Simon Roberts, who has headed track operations since the departure of the Williams family on the evening of the Italian Grand Prix, is confirmed in his position and becomes Team Principal in his own right. Roberts will report directly to Capito.

L’Allemand, 62 ans, débuta sa carrière en sports mécaniques dans les années 1970 au guidon de motos. Il remporta ensuite le Paris-Dakar dans la catégorie camion en 1985 avec son père puis rejoignit BMW. En 1989, il entra au Groupe Volkswagen et travailla d’abord au sein du département course de Porsche. 

In 1996, he took his first steps in F1 at Sauber, before joining Ford in 2001. As director of Motorsport for the European branch of the American manufacturer, he was brought to work with the Jordan team in F1 while supervising the activities rally of the brand. Under his leadership, Ford won the 2006 and 2007 Manufacturers' titles in WRC.

In 2012, Capito returned to Volkswagen where he once again headed the Motorsport department. His new stint coincided with a period of undivided domination of the brand in the WRC with 4 consecutive Drivers-Constructors doubles thanks to the winning team formed Sébastien Ogier and the Polo R (2013-2016). 

Poached by McLaren, Capito only spent a short 4-month stint there against the backdrop of a power struggle with the ousting of Ron Dennis who had brought him here. He then returned to Volkswagen to take charge of the group's high-performance vehicles department. 

« It is an honor to join Williams Racing at a challenging and demanding time for the team in Formula 1. “, commented Capito. Savage, for his part, praised the experience and competitive spirit of his new CEO, “ capable of building winning teams ».